Tahini Sauce

We often have bagels for breakfast.   There's nothing wrong with plain ol' cream cheese on a bagel, of course, but sometimes I like something a bit different than that.   I am very fond of hummus on bagels, for example.   My latest favorite bagel topping is Tahini Sauce.

I first made Tahini Sauce to go with the falafel I made for a weekend lunch recently (more about the falafel in another post), but once I tried it, I realized it would work excellently as a bagel topping.  So I made up another batch and have been using it for just that purpose.   Juli isn't fond of it as a bagel topping - she thinks the savory, garlic flavor is too much for a breakfast food - but I'm loving it.

Tahini Sauce

yield = not quite 1 cup of sauce

1/2               cup tahini
3                  large garlic cloves, chopped
2                  tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4               teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/4               teaspoon table salt
1/4               cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice
2                  tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Add tanihi, garlic, parsley, pepper and salt to a food processor and pulse until blended and smooth.  Transfer to a small mixing bowl. 

Stir in olive oil, lemon juice and sesame seeds.  Let sit for at least 30 minutes, or preferably refrigerate overnight, for the flavors to blend, then serve as a bagel topping or sandwich condiment.

Cooking Tip:
Roasting sesame seeds is pretty easy.  Heat a small skillet over medium-low heat.  Add the seeds and cook, stirring frequently, until most of them have started to brown.   This takes about 5 minutes.  Toward the end, you will need to be stirring them almost constantly to avoid burning.